Tulsa Drillers Drop Pair of Games to the Arkansas Travelers - AA, Texas League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – North Little Rock - The Tulsa Drillers seemed to receive very few breaks during a 5-game losing streak, dropping a pair of games by single runs and another game by two runs. Wednesday afternoon at North Little Rock's Dickey Stephens Park, the luck seemed to change. The Drillers registered only two hits, yet posted a 1-0 victory over the Arkansas Travelers to end the 5-game skid.
The win came courtesy of a couple of breaks and a brilliant pitching performance by Alan Johnson (pictured). The right-hander did not allow a run in two emergency starts for the Drillers last season, but had struggled to a 0-3 record and a 6.43 ERA in his first five outings with Tulsa this year.
Johnson seemed to find his 2007 form in Wednesday's outing. He allowed only two hits in 7.1 shutout innings. He allowed singles in each of the first two innings, then combined with relievers Adam Bright and Ryan Mattheus to keep Arkansas hitless over the final seven frames.

ADVERTISEMENT The Drillers lone run in the game was a gift from the Travelers in the fourth. Matt Miller led off the inning with a sharp grounder that got past third baseman Corey Smith. Miller ended up at second on the play that was ruled an error on Smith. The Drillers designated hitter advanced to third on a passed ball, but he was still there two outs later. Arkansas starting pitcher Dan Denham then made his only mistake of the game when he balked to send Miller home with the run that gave Tulsa the lead.
The play gave Denham another tough loss. His record is now 1-3 on the season despite a 0.39 ERA. In Wednesday's 8-inning outing, he held Tulsa to only one hit, a third inning single by catcher Neil Wilson.
Tulsa's only other hit in the game came on a ninth inning single by Miller off Travs reliever Francisco Rodriguez.
Dexter Fowler was held without a hit in four at-bats, ending his eight-game hitting streak for the Drillers.
The victory was Johnson's first of the year, improving his record to 1-3. The shutout performance lowered his ERA to 5.03. Mattheus collected his third save with scoreless ninth inning.
A school-day crowd of 10,007 watched the afternoon pitcher's dual at Dickey-Stephens Park.

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